The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has explained key changes introduced under Ghana’s new road traffic regulations, including stricter provisions on drink-driving, child restraint devices, commercial vehicles and the towing of broken-down vehicles.

Speaking on The Law on JoyNews monitored by GhanaWeb on August 17, 2026, the Director of Regulations, Inspections and Compliance at the NRSA, Kwame Koduah Atuahene, said the reforms are aimed at addressing the rising level of road crashes while responding to emerging modes of transportation.

According to Atuahene, the reforms became necessary as Ghana’s transportation landscape continues to evolve, particularly with the growing prominence of motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles.

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He said the changes would also require closer coordination among the licensing authority, regulatory agencies, the police and the Ministry of Transport to ensure effective implementation.

New drink-driving limit

One of the major changes concerns the permissible alcohol level for motorists.

Atuahene said the previous threshold of 0.08 had been reduced to 0.05 after evidence showed that motorists could still be insufficiently sober to drive safely at the former limit.

“It used to be 0.08 per mile, but evidence shows that at that level a lot of people may not be sober behind their steering wheel,” he said.

He explained that under the new law, a driver stopped by the police who records an alcohol level above 0.05 percent will have committed an offence.

Commercial drivers to undergo intensive training

Atuahene also stressed the importance of improving the quality and training of commercial drivers.

He explained that the training required to obtain a licence to drive a private vehicle should not be the same as the training required to operate a commercial or public service vehicle.

“If he happens to be in charge of a 28 or 34-seater bus running from Wa to Tamale or wherever, the sort of mindset that will require him to bring to his work may not be the same as when I drive my private vehicle,” he said.

According to him, feedback from the NRSA’s investigations, studies and other road safety activities suggests that commercial and public service vehicle drivers require a more intensive training regime.

He said such training was necessary to achieve the quality assurance standards expected of drivers who transport large numbers of passengers.

New requirements for broken-down vehicles

The new law also introduces requirements for dealing with vehicles that break down on the road.

Atuahene said vehicle owners are required to ensure that a broken-down vehicle is removed from the road immediately.

Under the new arrangement, vehicle owners must either subscribe to a towing service provider or have an insurance policy that assists them in getting their disabled vehicle off the road.

He said the NRSA had initiated discussions with the National Insurance Commission, the Ghana Insurance Association and towing companies on how the provision would be operationalised.

The NRSA, he added, would have responsibility for monitoring the implementation of the requirement.

Atuahene urged the public to demand accountability from the authority on the enforcement of the provision.

He warned that leaving such vehicles stranded, particularly overnight, could create serious safety risks for other road users.

“If these vehicles were to stay up to the night, one may not be too sure what may happen,” he said.

Child restraint devices and emerging transport modes

Child restraint devices also form part of the reforms, with the new road safety framework introducing mandatory requirements intended to improve the protection of children travelling in vehicles.

The amended law has been reported as requiring child restraints for children up to age 12, with the requirements linked to factors including age, height and weight.

The Director of Regulations, Inspections and Compliance at the NRSA said the broader reforms were also designed to address emerging modes of transportation.

For several years, the use of motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles for commercial purposes has generated debate over safety and regulation.

Parliament's amendment provides a legal framework for the commercial use of these vehicles, alongside requirements intended to regulate the sector.

Atuahene said government had therefore needed to review existing regulations to ensure that the law could respond to changes in mobility.

Greater oversight of tyres and safety equipment

Atuahene also touched on efforts to strengthen the regulation of tyres and other safety equipment.

He said extensive consultations had been held with industry stakeholders after an earlier tyre regulation generated controversy and was subsequently suspended.

Following consultations across the country, he said, stakeholders arrived at the provisions contained in the current law.

Parliament passed the Road Traffic Amendment Bill, 2025, in December 2025 to amend the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683), with provisions covering alcohol concentration limits, the commercial use of motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles, safety equipment and commercial drivers.

JKB/VPO

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